Research on Factors Affecting the Birth Rate in China

Abstract

The quantity and quality of the population are crucial to the prosperity of a country and a nation. The birth rate is a key indicator that affects future fertility levels. Data from the National Bureau of Statistics showed that the number of births in 2022 reached the lowest level in 60 years, ranking China among countries with a low fertility rate. So far, many scholars have studied the micro-influencing factors of the population birth rate in China. However, the mechanism of population birth rates is complex. There is a certain research gap in the current research on population birth rates by using multiple variable selection methods. Based on this, this paper attempts to use the variable selection method to make a comprehensive study of the macro factors affecting the birth rate in China and draws a conclusion. In the early days of the founding of New China, the natural environment and population factors were the main factors affecting fertility levels. Since the reform and opening up, social environment factors have become the main factors affecting the fertility level of the population. To predict the future birth rate of China, the influence of fertility policy will be further reduced, and economic and social factors will become the main factors affecting population fertility.